Bruce played the song 8 times: 

 

2025-04-26 Pollak Theatre, Monmouth University, West Long Branch, NJ

Bruce inducts Joe Ely (see beneath) at the third annual American Music Honors, a presentation of the Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center For American Music at Monmouth University. The 2025 inductees are Smokey Robinson (inducted by Steven Van Zandt), Emmylou Harris (inducted by Patti Scialfa), Tom Morello (inducted by Nils Lofgren), John Fogerty, and, in absentia, Joe Ely (the last two inducted by Springsteen himself). Brian Williams serves as the evening's host and The Disciples Of Soul act as house band; Jackson Browne and Darlene Love also make surprise appearances. 

 

Watch here:  

 

Setlist: All just to get to you (without Joe Elly)  / The Ghost of Tom Joad (with Tom Morello) / Bad moon rising (with John Fogerty) / Going to a go-go (with Smokey Robinson and Steven Van Zandt) / Take it easy (with Jackson Browne, Tom Morello, and Nils Lofgren) / Proud Mary (with John Fogerty and Nils Lofgren) / Fortunate Son (with John Fogerty) / Tenth Avenue Freeze-out (with Tom Morello and Nils Lofgren) / This land is your land (with Darlene Love, Nora Guthrie, Emmylou Harris, Patti Scialfa, Tom Morello, John Fogerty, Jackson Browne, Steven Van Zandt, and Nils Lofgren) 

 

2008-04-14 Toyota Center, Houston, TX

 

2003-03-02 Frank Erwin Center, Austin, TX

 

2001-10-19 Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank, NJ

2001-10-18 Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank, NJ

2000-04-17 Frank Erwin Center, Austin, TX

 

1996-03-17 Mean Fiddler (The), Dublin, Ireland

 

 

All just to get to you is a song written by Joe Ely and Will Sexton and released on Ely's 1995 album Letter To Laredo. Bruce also contributed to the studio recording of this song providing back-up vocals, also on 'I’m a thousand miles from home' ( the album was called 'Letter To Laredo' ). Springsteen travelled to Austin around spring 1995 and joined Ely in studio to record his parts. The album was recorded at Spur Studios (Joe Ely's home studio) in Austin, TX. 

 

 

 

2025-04-26 Pollak Theatre, Monmouth University, West Long Branch, NJ 

 

Bruce Springsteen inducts Joe Ely:

"If I hear my name again, I'm going to fucking throw up. Let's talk about fucking someone else.If the world was a fairer place, Joe Ely would have been huge! I mean huge. He had, and has got it all. He's a great songwriter. He looks dead cool. He's a fabulous stage performer, always with a great band. He's got that voice, the one I wished I had. ?It's got that slight southern country twang, it's got a hint of rockabilly. It's got the depth and emotion of Johnny Cash and it's as deeply authentic as his Texas roots. Now, from his early classic band The Flatlanders, with Jimmie Dale Gilmore (and) Butch Hancock, he made a music unique to Texas that touched folks all around the world. He had records like Musta Notta Gotta Lotta, Love and Danger, Letter to Laredo, Love and Freedom and a dozen top-shelf others that a lot more people should have heard and gotten to love. Joe left his mark, though, on the Texas and the world music scene. He opened for The Clash in 1978. That's incredible! As they sang on Sandinista!, 'There ain't no better blend than Joe Ely and his Texas men.' Now Joe Strummer, he knew greatness when he heard it. Joe is a member of the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame. ?He spent 2016 as the reigning Texas State Musician. He's a writer, a poet, he's an accomplished visual artist. He's been my friend for 30-plus years and I take great pride to be able to call him so. He's a sweet, sweet man. We've had some wonderful times together, including one post-show Irish night in the pubs and clubs of Dublin that I won't soon forget. Nor will I say anything more about it! But I've been blessed to sing on his records and be onstage with Joe on occasion and the only thing I can say is: Thank God he wasn't born in New Jersey! I would have had a lot more of my work cut out for me. But anyway, be blessed and well, Joe. Joe couldn't be here tonight. He's struggling with his health, but we love him and we need him and all I can say is, welcome to the American Music Honors, buddy." 

 

 

Joe Ely (born February 9, 1947, Amarillo, TX) is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist whose music touches on honky-tonk, Texas Country, Tex-Mex and rock and roll. He has had a genre-crossing career, performing with Bruce Springsteen, Uncle Tupelo, Los Super Seven, The Clancy Brothers and James McMurtry in addition to his early work with The Clash and more recent acoustic tours with Lyle Lovett, John Hiatt, and Guy Clark.

 

2003-03-02 Frank Erwin Center, Austin, TX

"Gonna bring out my good friend Joe Ely down and play with us, come on up....out of a great city of songwriters, the talent that´s come out of Texas, Joe´s one of my very favorites, man.."

Joe Ely was also on stage with Bruce on May 20, 1993. singing together in Dublin, Ireland, when they got on stage with Jerry Lee Lewis and Shane MacGowan and sang 'Great Balls of Fire.' During an extended encore, Ely appeared to perform his 1988 tune "Settle for Love" with Springsteen, and then returned to the stage a bit later with Lewis for "Great Balls of Fire" and "Whole Lotta’ Shakin’ Goin’ On."